This invention relates to a shutterless pulse laser recording system with particular application to recording holographic images.
In my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 327,180, filed Dec. 3, 1981, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Recording Holographic Images of Human Subjects", I disclose a system for maintaining a human subject in full white light illumination until the moment of recording in order to avoid dilation in the subject's eyes which typically occurs about 0.5 seconds after the subject ceases to be illuminated with white light. In order to avoid recording the image of a subject having dilated eyes, this referenced patent application discloses the use of a shutter placed in front of the recording medium which has a fast opening time, i.e. within about 0.5 seconds. The subject is illuminated with white light until an operator decides to record a hologram, whereupon the white light is extinguished, the shutter opens, and the pulse laser is fired, to thereby create a recorded image in the holographic recording medium.
However, this method not only requires a fast acting shutter having a total opening time within 0.5 seconds, but for producing large holograms, a large shutter is required, which may either be expensive or not readily available. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to eliminate the need for a shutter while still obtaining the advantages associated with maintaining the subject in substantially full white light illumination.
Further, it would be advantageous to illuminate the subject with light which simulates more closely the divergence and directivity characteristics of pulse laser object light used to record the image of the subject, at least insofar as illumination of the subject is concerned.